Method and apparatus for affixing fasteners to a moving web

ABSTRACT

High speed apparatus and method for affixing male or female snap fasteners to a moving web of material are described. The web is advanced continuously, while snap fastener components are periodically positioned in recesses on rotating platens above and below the web. The platens are synchronized with web velocity, and as the snap fastener components rotate and are brought into contact with the web a pressure is applied between the platens to affix the components to each other through the web.

United States Patent Helminen 1451 June 13, 1972 [54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AFFIXING FASTENERS TO A MOVING WEB [72] Inventor:

[73] Assignee:

Toivo A. Helmlnen, Neenah, Wis.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Neenah, Wis.

[22] Filed: June 12, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 45,862

52 us. c1 ..29/431, 29/211 511 1m.c1. ..B23p 19/00, B23q 7/10 58 Field ofSearch.... ..29/211 D, 208,208 1), 208 c,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,8 85,774 5/1959 Waldes .....29[408 3,495,315 2/1970 Waeltz ..29/200A 3,520,046 7/1970 Erhardt,.lr.etal. ..29/211D Primary Examiner-Th0mas H. Eager ArtorneyWolfe, Hubbard, Leydig, Voit & Osann,'Ltd.

[57] ABSTRACT High speed apparatus and method for affixing male or female snap fasteners to a moving web of material are described. The web is advanced continuously, while snap fastener components are periodically positioned in recesses on rotating platens above and below the web. The platens are synchronized with web velocity, and as the snap fastener components rotate and are brought into contact with the web a pressure is applied between the platens to afiix the components to each other through the web.

15 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUH 13 I972 SHEET 10F 3 n. i m m M f 5 Ma 1 y. w M M 2 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AFFIXING FASTENERS TO A MOVING WEB This invention relates primarily to a method and apparatus for affixing mechanical snap fasteners to a moving web of material, and more particularly to means for positioning the fastener components and supplying the force required for affixing the components.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS The familiar mechanical snap fasteners, of the type exemplified in FIG. 4, usually include two portions, the so-called male portion and the female portion. Apart from fasteners that are sewn or adhesively attached to a material, the fasteners are usually affixed by manufacturing each segment as two components, and locking the components together through the web of material.

Various devices are available for assembling the fastener components. These usually take the form of a cross between a sewing machine and a punch press, and frequently provide for automatic transferring or positioning of the components prior to assembly by a reciprocating die. Usually provision is made for automatically advancing a web of material by a predetermined distance, halting the web, and driving the components together to mate through the material.

This stop-and-start action of the web and of the pressure-exerting die has serious limitations in a number of respects. For one, the discontinuous web motion and the reciprocating die action necessarily limit the speed of fastener application. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for affixing snap fasteners to a web of material in which the web and the fasteners are moved continuously and without any, or any substantial, reciprocating action. A related object is to reduce or avoid inertia problems characteristic of pre-existing snap fastener application devices, and to thereby gain the benefits of potentially higher speed, reduced component wear, and resulting low-cost trouble-free operation.

Another limitation of many existing snap fastener installation devices stems from the necessity of accurately positioning the mating component and the securing component of a snap fastener segment, and for insuring that the assembled snap fastener is precisely spaced by a predetermined distance from preceding and succeeding fasteners. This results not only from the difficulty in accurately positioning the components above each other just prior to applying assembling pressure, but from the difficulty in accurately moving the web by a predetermined distance from the preceding assembled fastener. Accordingly, a further object of the invention is to provide method and apparatus that insures accurate and positive alinement and placement of the snap fastener components.

An overall object is to provide an extremely rapid, troublefree, method and apparatus for afiixing male or female snap fasteners to nonwoven materials, in order to take advantage of the inherently low cost of such materials and to increase the availability and utility of nonwoven garments by providing a precise system for affixing snap fasteners to material webs used for shirt fronts, smocks, laboratory and hospital coats, and the like.

Yet another object is to provide a versatile method and apparatus for affixing male and female snap fasteners to adjoining edges of one or two moving webs of material in order that both left and right flaps of a garment may be processed simulprecisely alined with each other.

A general object is to provide a versatile snap fastener installation apparatus and method capable of use with widely difiering sheet materials, ranging from woven fabrics through nonwoven fabrics to cast or calendered plastic sheeting, and with different thicknesses of such materials and/or numbers of plies constituting the web. An associated object is to provide method and apparatus capable of use with a variety of different types and sizes of snap fasteners, and with snap fasteners requiring differing affixing forces to secure them to the material.

' taneously with the respective male and female snap fasteners Yet a further object is to provide means for affixing male or female snap fasteners at virtually any position and any spacing on a web.

Still another object is to provide method and apparatus for affixing male or female snap fasteners without simultaneously imposing longitudinal or transverse tension on the web.

An additional object is to provide a snap fastener affixing apparatus which is compatible with existing auxiliaries such as fastener sorting devices and the like, and also compatible in automatic fabrication lines for the production of nonwoven fabric gannents.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the ensuing description, which is to be read in conjunction with the drawings described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of one embodiment of apparatus according to the present invention, this particular embodiment being used to apply simultaneously one male and one female snap fastener to adjoining edges of two strips of material;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial end view, taken in section, along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective of an alternative embodiment of the invention, the perspective being partially sectioned to expose the functioning of certain components of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged end view, taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 1, showing the male and female snap fasteners immediately after assembly of the fastener components;

FIG. 5 includes three enlarged perspectives of, respectively, a snap fastener securing component, a snap fastener female mating component, and a snap fastener male mating component.

While the invention will be described with reference to certain preferred embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to these particular embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternative, modifications, and equivalent arrangements as may .be included within the spirit and scope of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Turning now to the drawings, and referring first to FIG. 1, the depicted apparatus is used to affix adjoining male and female snap fastener components, respectively 11, 12, to a pair of webs 14 of nonwoven fabric near the adjoining longitudinal edges 13. The webs 14 may be any of the commonly available flexible sheet materials, although the principal utility of the inventive apparatus is presently in the processing of nonwoven fabrics such as described in Buresh, Nonwoven Fabrics" (Reinhold, 1962) and in Krcema, Nonwoven Textiles", (Textile Trade Press, Manchester, 1967 Although a variety of snap fastener components may be processed, for use with nonwoven fabrics a plastic fastener has advantages of low cost and ease of assembly. An exemplary fastener is depicted in FIG. 4, illustrating an assembled end view of a male fastener segment 11 and of a female segment 12. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the male segment 11 includes a male mating component 202 secured to a securing component 201, while the female segment 12 includes a female mating component 204 secured to an identical securing component 201.

Each of the several components 201, 202, 204 is made from polystyrene or similar organic plastic material, and typically has a square, flat base section 212, 214, 215 (FIG. 5) measuring twenty-three sixty-fourths inches in either dimension and about one thirty-second inches thick. The corners of the square base 212, 214, 215 are rounded to avoid chipping.

To secure the securing component 201 to the mating components 202, 204, a series of four upstanding rivet pins 205 are positioned at the respective corners of the securing component 201 and extend perpendicularly from the base 212. These rivet pins 205 have rounded or frusto-conical tops to permit their insertion through a web of material 14 (FIG. 4)

and reception by a matching set of four rivet pin holes 206 on the female-mating component 204, or a similar set of holes 210 on the male mating component 202. The pins 205 are sufficiently long so that they can pass through the material 14 and extend above the remote surface of the male or female mating component, as the case may be, so that the ends of the pins are flattened like rivet heads when suitable pressure is applied to the ends of the pins 205.

As further shown in FIG. 5, the male mating component has an upstanding male stud 209 which tapers outwardly from the base 215. This stud 209 is round in any sectional plane parallel to the base 215, and at its maximum outer diameter is slightly larger than the stud-receiving female port 208 on the female mating component 204 (FIG. 5). Correspondingly, the port 208 tapers inwardly so that, in conventional manner, the male and female mating components 202, 204 require an initial mating pressure but thereafter tend to remain engaged.

Reverting to FIG. 1, the webs 14 are advanced through the apparatus at a constant longitudinal velocity. Advancement is provided by the nip of a pair-of counter-rotating flexible pull rolls or platens l7, l8 driven by keyed shafts 19, 20, respectively. In one form of the invention, to be described presently, these platens 17, 18 may be omitted, and instead the webs l4 advanced through the apparatus by the main platens or drums 25, 26.

In accordance with the invention, the snap components are periodically fed to the respectiveopposite sides of the web 14 in arcuate forward paths tangential to the advancing web by inserting the components into circumferentially and axially spaced recesses 60. Asthe platens or drums 25, 26 are rotated synchronously, the corresponding recesses 60 with their contained snap fastener components are brought into contact with the web of material 1 4, and, when the respective components are aligned, or in register with each other, a pressure is applied to one or both of the platens 25, 26 to permanently affix a securing component 201 (FIGS. 4 and 5) to a male mating component 202 or a female mating component 204, as

the case may be.

To this end, a lower drum or platen 25 is axially mounted on a shaft 38, which in turn is received in a pair of bearings 31 carried by the apparatus frame 21, only parts of which are illustrated to avoid complexity of drawing.

A similar platen or drum 26 is positioned above the web 14 and axially mounted onto a shaft 39. The shaft 39 rotates in a set of bearings 49, each bearing being secured to one of two laterally spaced pivot arms 42. One end of the pivot arms 42 terminates in a boss 44, from which extends a lateral pivot pin 45 parallel to the shaft 38, 39, and which is received in a bearing 47. 1

As shown in FIG. 1, the bearings 47 are mounted on the shaft 38 associated with the lower drum or platen 25. Thus, the pivot arms 42 maintain the shafts 38, 39 of the respective lower and upper drums 25, 26 in a parallel arrangement irrespective of movement of the respective axes of these shafts 38, 39 toward or away from each other.

To effect relative movement of the shafts 38, 39 toward or away from each other, and to thereby apply a securing pressure between the drums 25, 26 when the snap fastener components are properly alined, the ends of the laterally spaced pivot arms 42 terminate in a cam follower assembly to cause the pivot arms 42 to pivot about the bearings 47. The assembly includes a spring biased cam roller 53 journalled on a yoke 55, which in turn is mounted at the end of a rod 57 slidably received in a bearing 56. The spring 54 thereby permits some degree of longitudinal movement between the roller 53 and the bearing 56, the spring stiffness and deformation combining to regulate the amount of pressure applied between the drums 25 and 26.

As indicated, the cam roller 53 follows a four-lobed cam 51 associated with the rollers 53 at each end of the cam drive shaft 50. The shaft 50 is journalled in a pair of bearings 52 mounted on the apparatus frame 21, and terminates at a keyed end 56.

Depending upon the selected mode of operation, the keyed end 56 of the cam drive shaft 50 either may or may not be synchronized with a similarly keyed gear drive shaft 37 driving the drums 25, 26, and with the drive shafts 19, 20 powering the flexible platens l7, 18. When the material constituting the web 14 and/or the plastic of the snap fasteners is sufi'rciently soft, it is unnecessary to apply an increasing pressure between the drums 25, 26, and accordingly a constant pressure is maintained between the two by immobilin'ng the cams 51, as for example by disengaging the keyed end 56 of the shaft 50. In this event, the pivot arms 42 remain immobile, and an efiectively constant distance, and pressure, are maintained between the two drums 25, 26.

On the other hand, where the material of the webs 14 is particularly strong, and/or where the plastic of the snap fasteners has a high modulus, it may then be desirable to apply a gradually increasing, or even impact, pressure between the drums 25, 26 when the fastener component-receiving recesses 60 move into register with each other. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the four protruding lobes on the loading cams 51 urge the pivot arms 42 downward in synchronization with the positioning of the component-receiving recesses 60, located at the quadrants of the drums 25, 26 so that maximum movement of the shaft 39, and maximum pressure-between the drums 25, 26, occurs when the recesses 60 on one of the drums is superimposed over the recesses 60 on the other drum.

For optimum practice of the invention, the platens or drums 25, 26 should be precisely synchronized so that their peripheral speed is exactly that of the longitudinal velocity of the web 14 as it moves through the apparatus. While this may be accomplished, as for example by positioning the drums 25, 26 directly above each other and either separately or synchronously rotating the drum at equal peripheral velocities, the embodiment of FIG. 1 permits an adequate approximation to this condition of precise synchronization of the three speeds. This is accomplished by a gear work or link work system including the gears 34, 35, 36, and 48, and by appropriate design of the pivot arms 42. Optimally, the pivot arms 42 are so made that the distance between the axes of the shaft 38 and the pivot pin 45 is the same as the distance between the axis of the pivot pin 45 and the shaft 39. Thus, although the angular velocity of the swingable or movable drum 26 does not remain constant as the drum is moved in response to the action of the cam roller 53 and the cam 51, the velocities are quite close to being constantand approximately equal to that of the lower or fixed drum 25-when the two drums are in a component-affixing position with the recesses 60 in register with each other.

A simple yet highly effective link work system 23 is provided to counter-rotate the drums 25, 26 in synchronization. As indicated in FIG. 1, a drive gear or pinion 36 is coupled to the keyed drive shaft 37, and engages a driven gear 34 coupled to the shaft 38 of the lower drum 25. The pinion 36 is also engaged with an intermediate gear 48 coaxial with the pivot pin 45, and in turn the intermediate gear 48 meshes with a driven gear 35 connected to the shaft 39 of the upper drum 26. Since the driven gears 34, 35 and the intermediate gear 48 all have the same number of teeth, rotation of the drive gear or pinion 36 establishes the same angular velocity of the driven gear 34 and the intermediate gear 48, and an opposite velocity of the driven gear 35.

To periodically feed the snap fastener components to the nip between the lower drum 25 and the upper drum 26, provisions are made for presenting the fastener components to their respective drums, whereby the components are seized one by one and fed in an arc defined by the drum periphery into the nip area. To this end, and referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a series of component feeding chutes 58, 59, 61, 62 communicate from sorting and orienting pans, of conventional design, to the respective peripheries of the drums 25, 26. Where, as shown in FIG. 2 a female mating component 204 is to be affixed to the top of the web 14 by a securing component 201 applied to the lower surface of the web, the female mating components 204 descend in oriented order down the chute 59 while the securing components descend down the chute 62.

The respective ends of the chutes 58, 59, 61, 62 terminate just at or near the peripheries of the drums 25, 26. Thus, in the absence of recesses in the drums such as the componentreceiving recesses 60, the drum surface prevents fastener components from leaving the chutes. However, when the rotating drums move into position such that the recesses 60 are adjacent to the ends of the chutes 58, 59, 61, 62, the corresponding snap fastener components may then leave the chutes and be collected by the recesses 60.

These recesses 60, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each include a leading inclined arcuate ramp 64 to permit the snap fastener component to gradually descend below the outer periphery of the drums 25, 26, and a trailing or terminal abutment 68 to contact the end of each snap fastener component. Thus, the components are served one by one from each of the chutes 58, 59, 61, 62; gradually travel radially inward toward the axes of the drums 25, 26 as the drums rotate; and finally are carried along the drums 25, 26 as further rotation of these drums causes the abutments 68 to remove the respective fastener components from the apertures of the chutes.

Several further important characteristics of the componentreceiving recesses 60 bear attention. First, the lateral edges of the ramps 64 are advantageously perpendicular to the outer surfaces of the drums 25, 26, and advantageously are just wide enough to permit a fastener component to be received into the recess 60. In addition, the recesses 60 are located around the circumference or periphery of each drum at lengths which correspond to the position and number of lobes on the loading cams 51, and second, to the ultimate positioning of the snap fastener segments along the web 14.

Inorder to retain the snap fastener components within each of their respective recesses 60 during movement from the chute position to the affixing position in the nip between the rolls 25, 26, each recess 60 is provided with a pair of holes 66 to which a vacuum is applied, at least during the interval between the chute position and the nip position. Thus, suction holds the components to the recesses until the time when the components on the opposite sides of the webs 14 are mated together.

According to this feature of the invention, the cylindrical drums 25, 26 are provided with a vacuum chamber defined by end plates 28, a pair of vanes 67, and a hollowed portion 29 of the shafts 38, 39; the construction is essentially identical for each of the drums 25, 26. The outer ends of the vanes 67 are provided with suitable seals 70, as are the end plates 28 in the region between the vanes 67. Lastly, apertures 69 establish a vacuum-transmitting flow through the hollow portion 29 of the shafts and thence to vacuum supply conduits 30 communicating with the ends of the shafts. As a result, the vacuum holds the snap fastener components in the respective recesses 60 until they are affixed to the web 14.

An additional feature of value in certain applications of the apparatus is provision for interchangeability of the feed systems so that either male or female snap fasteners may be affixed to either side of the web 14, and facing either up or down. In this respect, a circumferential groove 63, 65 is provided which bisects the recesses 60 so as to permit either the stud 209 of the male mating component (FIG. 5c), or the protruding aperture 208 of the female mating component 204 (FIG. 5b) to be received in the recess 60 with its protrusion facing inwardly of the drum 25 or 26. Where such a circumferential groove 63, 65 is utilized, the vacuum transmitting holes 66 are so located as to communicate with an unperforated portion of a snap fastener component, that is, between adjacent rivet-receiving holes 206 (FIG. 5).

It is, of course, implicit in the internal drum construction of FIG. 1 that the hollowed portion 29, the end plates 28, and the vanes 67 do not rotate while the drums 25, 26 are rotating.

This may be achieved either by weighting the bottom of each the shafts 38, 39. Alternatively, the vanes 67 may be omitted, in which event continuous vacuum is applied to all of the vacuum transmitting holes 66 throughout the complete rotation of the drums 25, 26.

It is apparent, therefore, that an exceptionally versatile system has been described. Either male or female fasteners may be inserted, either with the mating side up or down, merely by altering the component transmitted to the several chutes 58, 59, 61, 62, and with no further adjustment. Where it is desired or necessary to space successive snap fastener segments closer together or farther apart, it is then only necessary to replace the drums 25, 26, and if necessary the loading earns 51, with drums having a required circumferential spacing of the recesses 60 corresponding to the desired longitudinal spacing of the snap fastener segments. Although four segments are affixed for each revolution of the drums 25, 26 in the illustrative embodiment of FIG. I, a greater or lesser number may be secured with each revolution by correspondingly increasing or decreasing the number of component-receiving recesses 60 around the periphery of each drum 25, 26, and by correspondingly increasing or decreasing the number of lobes on the loading cams 51.

It is also evident that the extent and timing of the pressure applied between the drums 25, 26 may be regulated by appropriate design of the shape of the loading cam 51 lobes. This, however, is well within the skill of cam designers. As noted earlier, the loading cams 51 may be omitted or disengaged, in which event an essentially constant pressure is applied by the compression springs 54 until snap fastener components are brought into the nip between the rolls 25, 26, at which time the pivot pins 205 (FIG. 5a) penetrate the mate rial 14, enter into the holes 206 or 210 (FIGS. 5b and 5c) of the mating component 204 or 202, and begin contacting the ramp 64. When this occurs, the rolls 25, 26 are moved slightly away from each other (provided, of course, the compression springs 54 are retained in the apparatus), and a momentarily increased pressure is derived from the somewhat greater compression of the springs 54.

Also, where the loading earns 51 are omitted or disengaged,

the fact that the drums 25, 26 are maintained under pressure during all phases of their rotation permits elimination of the platens 17, 18. In this case, the drums 25, 26 serve the dual function of feeding and affixing the fastener components and of advancing the web of material 14 at a constant longitudinal velocity. This has manifest advantages in reducing even further the complexity of automatic snap fastener affixing devices, and is particularly useful in extremely high speed snap fastener inserting devices.

Returning to the operation of the apparatus of the FIGS. 1

and 2, as the drums 25, 26 continue to rotate beyond the position where adjacent components are mated together to form a snap fastener segment such as the female fastener segment 12, the recesses 60 move out of contact with each other and thereby liberate the assembled fastener component 12. Accordingly, installation of the component has been accomplished without change in the longitudinal velocity of the web 14 or of the snap fastener components.

An alternative embodiment of the invention is depicted in FIG. 3, and attention is invited to that Figure. Preliminarily, it is to be noted that elements of the apparatus of FIG. 3 which are similarly constructed, or would perform a similar function, to a corresponding element in previously described FIG. 1 have been designated with the same numerical legend, except digits higher. Thus, the lower drum 25 of FIG. 1 corresponds essentially to the lower drum of FIG. 3.

In essence, the apparatus of FIG. 3 is intended for use in those applications where, either by reason of the thickness or strength of the web of material, or of the size, shape, construction, or material of the snap fastener, a rapid impacting pressure is desired or required to affix male or female mating components (FIGS. 50 and 5b) to their securing components (FIG. 5a). Accordingly, in lieu of the spring-biased loading cams 51 and cam rollers 53 of FIG. 1, a synchronized hammer lifting cam 84 elevates a cam roller 96 and, at the precipice of each lobe, permits a pair of spring-biased hammers 83 to drop onto a pair of anvils 95, and correspondingly force the vertically slidable anvils 95 to move downward and thereby force the upper drum 126 toward the lower drum 125. As indicated, the anvils 95 are provided with opposed longitudinal grooves 82 to permit the anvils to slide along the anvil guide frames 81.

Further to this aspect of the embodiment of FIG. 3, the hammers 83 are mounted at the ends of a pair of pivoted levers 86, which are normally urged downward by a pair of tension springs 90 connected at their respective ends to studs 93 on the levers 86 and corresponding studs 94 affixed to either the anvil guide frames 81 or the apparatus frame 121. Thus, as the shaft 139 rotates, lobes on the cam 84. lift the cam roller 96, which correspondingly lifts the U-shapedassembly of the hammers 83, levers 86, and transverse joumalled shaft 85. When the precipice of a lobe is reached, corresponding to aline ment of the recesses 60 on the lower and upper drums 125, 126, the hammer 83 are released to drop onto the anvils 95 and thereby apply impact pressure to the shaft 139 and the upperdrum 126. .Thus, a sharp impact-is applied to .the snap fastener components to insure their permanent engagement with a web of material.

A second feature of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is the provision of a series of hollow tubular vacuum-conducting vanes 167 extending from the vacuum transmitting holes or apertures 166 via vacuum-conducting passages 78 extending longitudinally along the shaft 139, and finally to vacuum supply conduits 130 associated with each of the shafts 138, 139. Inasmuch as the ends of the passages 78 communicate only with a vacuum transmitting port 79 in the vacuum boxes 80 only during a portion of shaft rotation, vacuum is'applied to the vacuum transmitting vanes 167, and to the vacuum trans mitting holes 166, only during the time interval between receiving a snap fastener component from the respective component feeding troughs 158, 159, 161 and 162 until the components are affixed at the nip between the drums 125, 126.

It is apparent that there has been provided, according to the invention, a series of embodiments of an apparatus and method which fully satisfy the aims, objects, and advantages set forth earlier. 1 r

I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus for affixing male or female snap fasteners to a moving web of material, said fasteners including a mating component and a securing component permanently affixable 2.- Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said feeding means includes a rotatable platen having component-receiving recesses therein.

3. Apparatus of claim 2 wherein said recesses each include a leading inclined ramp and a trailing abutment.

4. Apparatus of claim 2 including means for maintaining a component-retaining vacuum at said recesses.

5. Apparatus of claim 1 wherem said pressure applying means continuously applies a substantially constant pressure.

6. Apparatus of .claim 1' wherein said pressure applying means applies a gradually increasing pressure only when said components are in contact with said material.

7. Apparatus of claim- 6 wherein said pressure applying means includes a spring-biased cam follower.

8. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said pressure applying means applies an impacted pressure when said components are in contact with said material.

'9. Apparatus of claim 8 wherein said pressure applying means includes a spring-biased hammer.

10. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said material includes two inwardly facing adjoining edges, and said feeding means simultaneously feeds a male mating component to one side of saicl material near one edge, a female mating component to the other side of said material near the other edge, and a pair of securing components to the respective opposite sides of said material adjacent said respective mating members.

to each other on opposite sides of said material, said apparatus comprising:

means for advancing said material at a constant longitudinal velocity, means for periodically feeding one of said components to one side of said material in an arcuate forward path tangential to said advancing web,

means for periodically feeding the other of said components to the other side of said material in an arcuate forward path tangential to said advancing web,

means for synchronizing said feeding means with each other and with said material advancing means so that said snap fastener components are alined with each other and are moving at a velocity substantially equal to that of said material when said components are in contact with said material,

and means for applying pressure to' at least one of said feeding" means toward the other of said feeding means at least when said components are in contact with said material to thereby permanently affixsaid mating component to said securing component.

11. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said synchronizing means and said pressure applying means includes a driven gear for each of said feeding means, a reversing intermediate gear engaging the driven gear for one of said feeding means, a drive gear engaging said intermediate. gear and said driven gear for the other of said feeding means, and lever means carrying one of said feeding means and joumalled to the axis of said drive gear or said intermediate gear so that said feeding means are synchronized when said components are in contact with said material independent of distance between said feeding means.

12. Method for affixing male or female snap fasteners to a moving web of material, said fasteners including a mating component and a securing component permanently affixable to each other onopposite sides of said material, said method comprising:

' advancing said material at a constant longitudinal velocity,

periodically feeding one of said components to one side of said material in an arcuate forward path tangential to said advancing web, periodically feeding the other of said components to the other side of said material in an arcuate forward path tangential to said advancing web,

synchronizing said feeding and said advancing with each other so that said snap fastener components are alined with each other and are moving at a velocity substantially equal to that of said material when said components are in contact with said material,

and applying pressure to permanently affix said mating component and said securing component at least when said components are in contact with said material to thereby permanently affix said mating component to said securing component. 13. Method of claim 12 wherein said pressure is applied continuously.

l4. Method'of claim 12 wherein said pressure'is gradually increased when said components are in contact with said material.

15. Method of claim 12 wherein said pressure is an impact pressure.

' a: a is a a: 

1. Apparatus for affixing male or female snap fasteners to a moving web of material, said fasteners including a mating component and a securing component permanently affixable to each other on opposite sides of said material, said apparatus comprising: means for advancing said material at a constant longitudinal velocity, means for periodically feeding one of said components to one side of said material in an arcuate forward path tangential to said advancing web, means for periodically feeding the other of said components to the other side of said material in an arcuate forward path tangential to said advancing web, means for synchronizing said feeding means with each other and with said material advancing means so that said snap fastener components are alined with each other and are moving at a velocity substantially equal to that of said material when said components are in contact with said material, and means for applying pressure to at least one of said feeding means toward the other of said feeding means at least when said components are in contact with said material to thereby permanently affix said mating component to said securing component.
 2. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said feeding means includes a rotatable platen having component-receiving recesses therein.
 3. Apparatus of claim 2 wherein said recesses each include a leading inclined ramp and a trailing abutment.
 4. Apparatus of claim 2 including means for maintaining a component-retaining vacuum at said recesses.
 5. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said pressure applying means continuously applies a substantially constant pressure.
 6. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said pressure applying means applies a gradually increasing pressure only when said components are in contact with said material.
 7. Apparatus of claim 6 wherein said pressure applying means includes a spring-biased cam follower.
 8. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said pressure applying means applies an impacted pressure when said components are in contact with said material.
 9. Apparatus of claim 8 wherein said pressure applying means includes a spring-biased hammer.
 10. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said material includes two inwardly facing adjoining edges, and said feeding means simultaneously feeds a male mating component to one side of said material near one edge, a female mating component to the other side of said material near the other edge, and a pair of securing components to the respective opposite sides of said material adjacent said respective mating members.
 11. Apparatus of claim 1 wherein said synchronizing means and said pressure applying means includes a driven gear for each of said feeding means, a reversing intermediate gear engaging the driven gear for one of said feeding means, a drive gear engaging said intermediate gear and said driven gear for the other of said feeding means, and lever means carrying one of said feeding means and journalled to the axis of said drive gear or said intermediate gear so that said feeding means are synchronized when said components are in contact with said material independent of distance between said feeding means.
 12. Method for affixing male or female snap fasteners to a moving web of material, said fasteners including a mating component and a securing component permanently affixable to each other on opposite sides of said material, said method comprising: advancing said material at a constant longitudinal velocity, periodically feeding one of said components to one side of said material in an arcuate forward path tangential to said advancing web, periodically feeding the other of said components to the other side of said material in an arcuate forward path tangential to said advancing web, synchronizing said feeding and said advancing with each other so that said snap fastener components are alined with each other and are moving at a velocity substantially equal to that of said material when said components are in contact with said material, and applying pressure to permanently affix said mating component and said securing component at least when said components are in contact with said material to thereby permanently affix said mating component to said securing component.
 13. Method of claim 12 wherein said pressure is applied continuously.
 14. Method of claim 12 wherein said pressure is gradually increased when said components are in contact with said material.
 15. Method of claim 12 wherein said pressure is an impact pressure. 